After securing as much product as possible, Brandon Gross, the newly named Executive Chef of Columbia Country Club, and his team donated hundreds of pounds of fresh product to a local charity.
When I started at Columbia Country Club (Chevy Chase, Md.) two months ago as Executive Chef, I would have never thought that we would be dealing with a rapidly spreading COVID-19 virus. As this pandemic continues to escalate in severity, we are being constantly forced to adapt. Meanwhile, we’re always wondering if tomorrow is the day we will close our doors.
Unfortunately, Columbia CC closed last week due to regulations in the state of Maryland. Our staff will be at home for the next two weeks and they have been taken care of financially.
The way the management team has responded to the constantly shifting directives, from closing down the Club to planning for our reopening, has been remarkable. The Culinary Team has secured all of our product in each of the kitchens while identifying items for donation. Over the past week, we have donated roughly 700 lbs. of food to Nourish Now, an organization that is working to end hunger by proving food to people of all ages and living situations here in the local Maryland, DC and Virginia area. In addition, CCC is putting together a plan to assist our staff with food and necessities that are scarce throughout their communities. We must take care of one another and I am proud to say that CCC is doing just that.
Even prior to CCC’s closing, our suppliers were and continue to remained proactive abiding by the many restrictions put into place by the state. Their communication on how they are dealing with the COVID-19 virus has been transparent. Many of the suppliers are also adapting to the evolving market of demands. For example, they are retail packing meat in an effort to supply clubs in the area options for members and staff in need of food. The supply chain for food continues to remain strong, it’s just adjusting its business to reach the right audience.
So, until CCC reopens, we will continue to plan and adapt our strategies based on government restrictions. Our hope is to resume operations at the beginning of April, however, until then, we will continue to support the CCC Family and our neighboring communities in any way we can.
